Struggling with SPS w Pics

[MarkB30308]

I have had my tank going for about 1.5 years. Over the last year, I would occasionally introduce an SPS birds nest frag, Montipora Digi or similar "hardy" SPS but so far without success. I have mostly LPS that all do great but any SPS frags, just never seem to make it more than a month. The skin starts to thin and then begins to show the skeleton all over the frag almost like leopard spotting. My original acclimation method was to drip acclimate for 30 mins, then dip in Coral RX and then mount where I wanted it in the tank.

About a month ago after the last SPS trial, I cut my lights back and bought a PAR meter (apogee 510) and realize now that my lights were turned up way too high and my low nutrients probably caused the issues previously. I've since cut my lights way back and I'm slowly 5%/week increasing them through AI Prime acclimation mode.

That said, I introduced another SPS frag 3 weeks ago that was a reasonable price at the LFS and I'm seeing the same issues I have seen with all my SPS frags to this point. My acclimation method was to temp acclimate for 10 mins, acclimate in the bag for 30 and then dip for 10.

Here is the timeline since being in the tank:

1-Week on the sand bed (~70 PAR)
1-Week on the frag rack (~90 PAR)
1-Week on the frag rack about 2/3 up in middle of tank (~120 PAR)

My plan this week was to mount it in the tank and expected that it might brown slightly while the par builds to the target 155+ but I came home to it now showing signs of STN. This seems like there is something else at play, the frag has had great color since I introduced it and the PE has been great as well.

I do 15% waterchanges weekly.

Parameters for past 3 weeks (Test weekly with water changes)
PO4 - .03 - .05
Salinity 1.025 (Blue Bucket Salt)
ALK - 9 - 9.5 DKH
NO3 - 10 ppm
CAL - 430
MAG - 1350
PH - 7.9 - 8.3 daily swing
Temp - 78F (Fluctuates 77 to <79 with ink bird)

Equipment: 20 Gal Red Sea Max Nano
Stock Skimmer
AI Nero 3 (x2)
AI Prime HD
Inkbird Controller w 2 100W heaters
Tunze ATO w 2 Gal RODI Water

Dosing:
1 ml - Read Sea Alk (2 Day Interval)
4 ml - Red Sea AB+ (Daily)
1 ml - Brightwell NeoPhos (2 Day Interval)

Pics below taken with orange filter and macro lens. I'm just totally stumped, I made all my changes before introducing this guy and my params seem reasonably stable but I welcome any thoughts or ideas.

 

[zoasaholic]

Stop doing to much wc or <15% wc

 

[Lavey29]

Have you checked your trace elements via ICP test? Although weekly water changes probably keep most of them good maybe there are a few low such as iodine.

 

[Rollman]

low par for sps

 

[gbroadbridge]

I have had my tank going for about 1.5 years. Over the last year, I would occasionally introduce an SPS birds nest frag, Montipora Digi or similar "hardy" SPS but so far without success. I have mostly LPS that all do great but any SPS frags, just never seem to make it more than a month. The skin starts to thin and then begins to show the skeleton all over the frag almost like leopard spotting. My original acclimation method was to drip acclimate for 30 mins, then dip in Coral RX and then mount where I wanted it in the tank.

About a month ago after the last SPS trial, I cut my lights back and bought a PAR meter (apogee 510) and realize now that my lights were turned up way too high and my low nutrients probably caused the issues previously. I've since cut my lights way back and I'm slowly 5%/week increasing them through AI Prime acclimation mode.

That said, I introduced another SPS frag 3 weeks ago that was a reasonable price at the LFS and I'm seeing the same issues I have seen with all my SPS frags to this point. My acclimation method was to temp acclimate for 10 mins, acclimate in the bag for 30 and then dip for 10.

Here is the timeline since being in the tank:

1-Week on the sand bed (~70 PAR)
1-Week on the frag rack (~90 PAR)
1-Week on the frag rack about 2/3 up in middle of tank (~120 PAR)

My plan this week was to mount it in the tank and expected that it might brown slightly while the par builds to the target 155+ but I came home to it now showing signs of STN. This seems like there is something else at play, the frag has had great color since I introduced it and the PE has been great as well.

I do 15% waterchanges weekly.

Parameters for past 3 weeks (Test weekly with water changes)
PO4 - .03 - .05
Salinity 1.025 (Blue Bucket Salt)
ALK - 9 - 9.5 DKH
NO3 - 10 ppm
CAL - 430
MAG - 1350
PH - 7.9 - 8.3 daily swing
Temp - 78F (Fluctuates 77 to <79 with ink bird)

Equipment: 20 Gal Red Sea Max Nano
Stock Skimmer
AI Nero 3 (x2)
AI Prime HD
Inkbird Controller w 2 100W heaters
Tunze ATO w 2 Gal RODI Water

Dosing:
1 ml - Read Sea Alk (2 Day Interval)
4 ml - Red Sea AB+ (Daily)
1 ml - Brightwell NeoPhos (2 Day Interval)

Pics below taken with orange filter and macro lens. I'm just totally stumped, I made all my changes before introducing this guy and my params seem reasonably stable but I welcome any thoughts or ideas.

Your parameters look okay to me assuming they are accurate.
I'd probably drop Alk back to around 8 which matches the Blue Bucket to minimise swings during waterchanges.

In terms of PAR, 150 is borderline and quite low for SPS. I have mine from 200 - 350.

10% waterchange is fine.

You may like to do an ICP just to rule out some contaminant in the tank.

Regards
Graham.

 

[TheHunterYall]

What is the rate of that 2 degree temp swing? How many times a day?

 

[happyhourhero]

My first thought is not enough light.

 

[MarkB30308]

Have you checked your trace elements via ICP test? Although weekly water changes probably keep most of them good maybe there are a few low such as iodine.

I did an ICP test about 10 months ago without much indication of issues. I should probably do another. They recommended 6 15% water changes to basically turnover the entire volume so I didn’t feel like I got much out of it. I’ll go ahead and order another, that is a good call.

 

[vic5hands]

What kind of Flow? SPS need flow

 

[MarkB30308]

What is the rate of that 2 degree temp swing? How many times a day?

I’ve never monitored very closely but I know that the inkbird only kicks on once temp drops 1 degree and then cuts off when the temp hits target. I’ll document tomorrow the cycle.

 

[MarkB30308]

What kind of Flow? SPS need flow

When I moved it to the rack 2/3 up last week I could visibly see the frag shift when the wave maker would cut on from the opposite. Had each of the Nero 3 on 7s intervals

 

[MarkB30308]

My first thought is not enough light.

I thought that too but even when I had the light cranking, other frags exhibited the same. One question I do have is whether browning means it looks brown under actinic or brown under white light. This one does look browner under white lights.

 

[MarkB30308]

Stop doing to much wc or <15% wc

Will look at this, the reason I do more is because it’s hard to mix small qty and I have even dosed WC water to match my nutrients but these 15% water changes are one of the constants. That’s a good call out.

 

[SPSDomination]

Sufficient flow in my mind is polyps always moving. It should be alternating flow as well. Can you post a video of the flow in your tank by any chance. My acros are getting anywhere from 350-600 par. Your numbers sound low.

 

[MarkB30308]

My first thought is not enough light.

Agree, the par is low. You think the low light could cause this in 3 weeks and not brown out first? I have seen very similar symptoms when the par was much higher. I’m going to keep at it, I just feel like I keep adjusting aim and missing.

 

[Dburr1014]

I was thinking not enough light also. The top of my tank is about 250par. The bottom is about 150. That's where I start.

Birds nest I can't keep at all. I don't consider them easy at all, very finicky. Try a plating monti or something like that.

 

[MarkB30308]

Sufficient flow in my mind is polyps always moving. It should be alternating flow as well. Can you post a video of the flow in your tank by any chance. My acros are getting anywhere from 350-600 par. Your numbers sound low.

I can do that, I go for a wave motion based on my scuba diving experience. I look for motion one direction then another. I mention the par because I had it cranked over 200 and saw similar results. It could be coincidence that I’m dealing with an issue on this one and my high par/low nutrient issues were the issue on the rest. The symptoms are so similar though

 

[Lavey29]

Agree, the par is low. You think the low light could cause this in 3 weeks and not brown out first? I have seen very similar symptoms when the par was much higher. I’m going to keep at it, I just feel like I keep adjusting aim and missing.

My tank is 11 months and I just added my first SPS frags because I felt I finally had some stability and tank maturity. I didn't put them on the low light bottom to start. I figured they were coming from a high par frag tank so why go low? I just put them all in top rock spots and over the course of the past month my initial 7 SPS frags seem to be well with good color and new visible growth.

Perhaps you should try one or two just straight to the top with 300 par and good water numbers?

 

[MarkB30308]

Thank you everyone for the responses. I appreciate it so much!

 

[MarkB30308]

My tank is 11 months and I just added my first SPS frags because I felt I finally had some stability and tank maturity. I didn't put them on the low light bottom to start. I figured they were coming from a high par frag tank so why go low? I just put them all in top rock spots and over the course of the past month my initial 7 SPS frags seem to be well with good color and new visible growth.

Perhaps you should try one or two just straight to the top with 300 par and good water numbers?

Yea. the last order I had from tidal gardens, I did drip acclimation, mounted and did a 50% acclimation on ai prime over 4 weeks. The par on that was probably 225 -350 based on the apogee 510 measurements I got a month ago with those settings.